The first school-based Educational Institute of Scotland learning representatives are to be appointed next month as part of a unique programme for supporting, advising and assisting other teachers accessing professional development throughout their career.
Initially, around 50 EIS representatives will work in schools and FE colleges throughout Scotland after they have completed a programme developed by the University of Paisley Business School working with the EIS.
The programme will be delivered online using the Blackboard system.
Teachers will be able to discuss the broad lifelong learning agenda promoted by the Scottish Executive and supported by the EIS.
After completing an online module and an accreditation process, the new learning representatives will start working in schools and colleges. Around 40 are already working at local authority level and a further 14 who undertook an STUC training course are in FE colleges.
Ronnie Smith, the union’s general secretary, said the appointments would “help to ensure that the teaching workforce in Scotland will be one of the best equipped in Europe to take forward teaching and learning in schools.”
